Cerulean Tryst
by LeeReika
Summary: As they draw near the Zanarkand Ruins, they too draw near the Final Summoning. With little time left, Tidus thought he could spend just one night with his beloved Summoner at the majestic Moonflow even if many evils will continue to pursue them.


Cerulean Tryst

_A Tidus and Yuna novelette_

**Summary:** As they draw near the Zanarkand Ruins, they too draw near the Final Summoning. With little time left, Tidus thought he could spend just one night with his beloved Summoner at the majestic Moonflow even if many evils will continue to pursue them.

**Chapter I:** An Epiphany

"That's because you are a dream," said the apparition of a boy to a tall teenage Blitzball athlete.

Tidus, aware and yet aloof of the surroundings of his own Zanarkand home, looked around. It was the exact same living room, his Blitzball medals and trophies showcased on one side. The wide glass window welcomed a view of the dock that stretched to a never-ending ocean.

"Please wake up."

There were the echoes and after images of Yuna and Rikku begging him to rejoin them in the conscious world. They couldn't seem to reach him. The Fayth of Bahamut walked towards the disoriented Tidus. He reached out a finger and connected it with Tidus' forearm. It dematerialized into a small swirl of pyreflies. The Fayth drew away his arm and Tidus flesh was reformed once more.

"You may be the dream that will end our dreaming at last."

It came like a sudden blow to his chest.

"No…"

It felt as if it was that sudden blow that woke him. He felt his body lying on rough and wet ground. He could hear the cascades of water flowing unhurriedly down the petrified Fayth. Tidus opened his eyes to see his comrades surrounding him, all with expressions of worry or slight fear.

"What a relief! I thought you'd never wake up!" chirped Rikku as she stared at him with her spiral-patterned green eyes. "What happened and you suddenly went out cold?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" He got up at once and rubbed the remaining dirt off his mismatched trousers. "I…maybe I just overworked myself at the monster arena this morning. I'm fine! Don't worry!"

"You're sure?" said Auron in his orthodox gruff voice.

"Y-Yeah! Positive." Tidus replied, trying his best to sound casual. "You guys go on ahead, okay? I'll just take a short break and catch up."

Lulu simply crossed her arms. "Suit yourself. Just remember not to overdo it."

"Right," followed Wakka, "One of these days they might let us join the Blitzball tournaments again. Gotta be in top shape if we wanna pummel those Guado Glories, ya?"

Kimahri curtly nodded his head and turned away. Their Ronso companion was hardly in need of words.

Tidus was glad that his lie, although quite imperfect, somehow convinced his friends it was nothing dire. They all trudged towards the coral-laden caverns that connected the snowy trails of Mount Gagazet and the unwelcoming wrecked pillars of the Zanakand Ruins.

All left except for one, the Summoner with short auburn hair and mismatched eyes, the one person they all pledged to protect.

He turned to look at Yuna who, to his disappointment, still had the frail look of worry. In fact she seemed to be the most anxious.

"Yuna, it's really nothing!" Tidus added with a chuckle as he picked his sword up, a curved golden one named Avenger. "You really shouldn't have that look on your face. I'm alright. I just took a little snooze."

She smiled yet the worry never faded from her eyes. She walked to him and gently laced her hand around his. Tidus reciprocated by tightening his hold around hers although his glove was in between their palms.

"I wasn't worried," Yuna said in her light voice.

"Yeah, you shouldn't be," Tidus smiled back, "C'mon now. We better get going. They're all probably way ahead of us now- Wh-Wha-?" he was cut short as a bundle of sweet auburn hair tickled his neck.

Without warning, Yuna quickly slipped her arms around Tidus' waist and leaned her head against his strong chest. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she was calmed by Tidus' strong scent of musk.

"Y-Yuna?!"

The young Summoner tightened her hold around Tidus' muscular body and buried her face upon his semi-exposed chest. His surprised reaction softened to warmth as he returned the embrace. Since Yuna's outfit barely covered her upper back, Tidus avoided that part of her body at all risks.

"Stay by my side during the Final Summoning…" she said, her voice lighter than normal.

"I will. It's my duty as your guardian." he replied as he stroke her silk-like auburn hair. He suddenly felt a hint of wetness on his chest. He could feel it growing as Yuna began to tremble lightly yet uncontrollably in his arms.

"H-Hey? What's wrong?" he tried gently disengaging her to look at her face yet she wouldn't pull away. She then flung her arms from his waist to around his neck and sobbed harder on his chest.

"Tidus…" she whispered, her voice tiny. "I-I'm scared…" She then tightened her embrace around his neck and sobbed harder, "I'm scared of going to Zanarkand… Scared of dying to defeat Sin… Scared that I'll never be with my friends again and… Scared that I…that I'll never be with you…" Her breathing became irregular and involuntary as her tears now cascaded down Tidus' chest.

Tidus was at loss for words. He responded by gently pressing her head against his chest and combing her silky auburn hair.

"I won't let you die, Yuna…" he sighed as he kindly drew her away from his chest. He stared at her tear-stricken face. She was so beautiful even when crying. Her blue and green eyes were infused with crimson as rivers of tears flowed down her ivory cheeks. He wiped the tears off her eyes with his thumb and the remaining streaks on her face with his gloved hand.

"I'll find a way. I promise." He forced a smile as Yuna's sobs became less recurrent. She too tried to smile despite her bloodshot eyes and still looked dazzling. After a few more sniffs, she calmly embraced Tidus for a moment then eventually drew away.

"You okay now?" asked Tidus somewhat lightheartedly.

"Yes, thank you…" Yuna whispered, "Thanks for making me feel better. I…I can go on now." She straightened herself up and walked up the jagged coral-laden paths to the caves of Gagazet.

"Hold on." Tidus said as he sprinted ahead of her. "Guardian code number two: Thou shalt not leave thy Summoner." She giggled as Tidus made an accurate imitation of a majestic bow.

He took her small hand in his and led her up the erratic steps towards the cave, making them a destination closer to the very place that would materialize the end.

_Fear should know no existence._

"Let's see you under pressure."

Lulu raised her arms as she was imitated by her telepathically controlled moogle doll. She bent down and swept her arms downwards and the inanimate moogle did just the same. A deluge of water engulfed a massive knight armor clutching a gigantic cutlass. The pressure from Lulu's _Waterga_ spell collided it at all directions.

"Wakka! Finish it!" shouted Auron.

"Booya!" Wakka tilted his body backwards and catapulted a spiked ball towards the gigantic fiend. He aimed dead center at its hollow metallic head, knocking it backwards. It pummeled towards the ground dramatically causing the caves to tremor and effectively detonating a few stalactites to crash. The massive armored knight called Gemini moved no more as it lay on the ground. Its cadaver then putrefied into countless pyreflies.

"Whoa! You're getting better everyday, Lu." cried Wakka.

"Thank you Wakka," replied Lulu tersely, "But you should know that flattery will get you nowhere."

"It's a compliment, Lu." He chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "And lighten up! We're nearing Zanarkand already. Being grouchy will get you nowhere too, ya? It just makes you look older."

"Hmph!" snapped the Black Mage as she crossed her arms and looked away.

"Look! It dropped a Light Curtain! I'll take it!" piped Rikku as she bent down to pick the reward up and put it in the pocket holstered around her right thigh.

The party of five treaded likely as to avoid a fiendish ambush. Wakka and Rikku took the lead whilst Lulu and Auron took center guard. Kimahri remained at the back. The latter three found it both pleasing yet inappropriate to joke around and be free-spirited at a time like this.

"Where are Tidus and Yuna? I thought he said they'd catch up." Rikku said as she looked back. She could see the descending trails of corals and the underground lake from which she and Wakka swam through to activate switches. She could no longer see the entrance yet their two other friends were nowhere in sight.

"They follow soon," grunted Kimahri, "Tidus strong guardian. Protect Yuna well. Kimahri not worried."

"They are taking longer than expected," added Auron, "They could probably have been ambushed or-"

"Or taking their precious little time together having a romantic little date," joked Wakka. "Although I warned that guy way back in Besaid not to get any ideas."

"I did too, back in Guadosalam," said Lulu reminiscently. "But I'm afraid he's just as stubborn as Yuna. She too wouldn't listen to us when she decided to become a Summoner."

"Enough already. Please change the topic. Let's not talk about Yunie's…"

Rikku paused, unsure of the next words to say. Thinking about the Final Summoning pained her intensely, let alone talk about it. She looked at the ground and kicked a few pebbles astray. She then looked up at all of them and clasped her hands together.

"Can we rest for a bit? Pretty please? My legs are starting to sore."

"We have no more time to waste. We are nearing the summit," answered Auron as he walked insensitively past Rikku, oriental blade upon his shoulders.

"Oh, alright already!" Their young Al Bhed companion pouted as she raced ahead of them and turned. "I don't just want to rest. I…I also want Yunie to…to…stay just a little bit longer with us. It's just that… H-Hey! There they are!" she shrieked as she pointed to the direction down the jagged steps.

All of them except Rikku turned.

They saw Tidus and Yuna slowly ascending the steps past the strewn stalagmites and scattered corals. Tidus was soaking wet from head to toe with water dripping from his hair, clothes and his Avenger. Yuna in turn looked slightly weary and dispirited. She held her staff tightly with one hand while her other is clasped within Tidus's gloved one.

"What happened? You two look exhausted," said Lulu as she approached them. She cast a steady _Fira _spell with one hand. She lowered that hand and the flame levitated on its own, providing warmth to their two delayed comrades.

"Not easy making our way through this cave with just the two of us even if Yuna's a Summoner and can do White Magic," replied Tidus as he sheathed his weapon. He went closer to Lulu's conjured flame and dried his clothes. "We even got ambushed by a couple of specters."

"Yes," followed Yuna, "and Tidus had to swim his way alone down the waters to activate a few switches." She turned to look at her Al Bhed cousin and smiled. "You and Wakka missed a few treasure chests back there."

"Oh, right." Tidus said as he reached for his pocket and took out four vials of Elixir.

"Whoa! How come Rikku and I never found those?!" exclaimed Wakka as he tried to grab for one vial which Tidus deftly moved out of range.

"I'm just too good, that's why." Tidus smirked as he pocketed them back. "Tsk, Wakka. Your sense of awareness is lacking. How're you gonna be in top shape to pummel those Guado Glories, ya?" he added with a parodied and almost accurate imitation of Wakka's heavy accent.

"Why you little piece of Shoopuf dung!"

Wakka grabbed Tidus around his neck and put him in headlock. The two boys now began a vertical wrestling match which led to Wakka giving Tidus a choke slam. Tidus managed to break free from Wakka's grip and retaliated by going behind Wakka and giving him a tighter headlock. He dropped his body backwards sending himself and Wakka plunging into the ground. The two then forgot what they were fighting about in the first place and got carried away with their wrestling match.

Auron simply let out a gruff breath while the three women giggled as they watched Tidus and Wakka make fools out of themselves. Kimahri remained apathetic of the travesty the two boys were making and approached the young Summoner, the lass he watched over for the past ten years.

"Yuna tired. Must rest." Kimahri grunted as he led Yuna towards a large rock and let her sit there.

"Thank you Kimahri," answered Yuna as she sat down and laid her staff at her side.

"You seem to be too weary," said Lulu as she approached Yuna whom she and Wakka considered their little sister. She sat down beside her and gently tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Were you injured? Has Tidus guarded you well?"

"Oh yes," Yuna answered in a light yet cheerful voice. "He was so amazing. You should have seen him defeat that Gemini single-handed-"

"What in Kinoc's fat ass?" Wakka exclaimed as he suddenly withdrew his strength from keeping Tidus pinned on the ground. "This runt took on that big piece of scrap metal? Alone?"

"Surprised?" grinned Tidus as he grabbed Wakka by his shoulders and gave him a choke slam in retaliation. Wakka's combat adrenaline overtook him again and the two resumed their wrestling match.

Yuna too grinned and playfully tilted her head. "I mean with my help, of course! Tidus wasn't able to evade one swing. He would have lost had I not cast _Protect_ in time. And during the ambush from the specters, he was quick enough to cast _Haste_ on the both of us. He was injured by their _Thundara_ but I was there to heal him. Then-"

"This is unusual," Auron interrupted without warning. "I've never known you to be that talkative, Yuna. It's usually Rikku who does most of the talking."

"Hey!" twittered Rikku. "Let Yunie finish her story!" Although it was obvious that she was actually defensive about Auron's comment and not his interruption.

The young Summoner giggled then resumed. "Then Tidus had to swim through this underwater cavern since we thought he could find something there. When he got back, he was holding those four vials of Elixir but he looked horrifying! He had a large slash across his chest and his forehead was bleeding. Turns out he got poisoned too. I had to use up all my magic just to bring him back to proper health. So now I've run out of magic and I feel so drained."

She sighed as she finished. She weakly leaned back and, not realizing she had nothing to lean on, almost tipped backwards had Kimahri not caught her in time.

Tidus and Wakka finally ended their juvenile showdown. The former stood up and handed one of the vials to Yuna.

"Here," he smiled. "It's all yours. After all you saved me when I almost bled half to death."

Yuna smiled back and took a sip from the vial. She still seemed tired yet she was now bright in spirit. Tidus opened one vial and finished it in one gulp.

"Hey! What about me?!" said Rikku. "Wakka and I had to swim through the caverns yet all we found were a bunch of Arctic Winds!

Tidus grinned and swayed the remaining two vials temptingly. "Alright, how about a deal? Swap one with a couple of Al Bhed flash bombs. You know, that thing you used back in Bevelle?"

"Deal!" the young Al Bhed hopped childishly. "Good thing my old man and Brother were able to salvage at least a dozen crates at the Fahrenheit."

Tidus and Rikku made their rightful transactions and to formalize it, the two even made a firm handshake.

He stared at the last vial momentarily, thinking of what he should do with it or who he should give it to. He was having this strange premonition that an event might interfere before they journey onwards to Zanarkand. He assumed he ought to keep it yet looking at his other friends, he seemed to feel quite guilty that he didn't have anything for them. Rikku even had to barter flash bombs.

He suddenly remembered. There were two other chests, one containing three Mega-Potions and the other containing two X-Potions. He pocketed the last Elixir and took the other items of recovery from his back pocket, handed Auron and Rikku an X-Potion and a Mega-Potion each to Wakka, Lulu and Kimahri.

"There you go. At least we're all square," said Tidus as he ran his hand through his spiky blonde hair. "It's the least I can give for dragging Yuna behind and not being around to help you guys out."

"A sense of camaraderie," said Auron as he kept the vial inside his robes. "It's a relief to think you and Jecht share at least one positive trait. He too would rather give away enemy spoils whenever his antics led Braska and me to trouble."

"Hey, it's not like I chickened out while you guys got stuck in this deathtrap. My old man's much friskier than those cocky Luca Goers."

"Let's camp at the summit!" squeaked Rikku as she tossed her X-Potion into the air, spun on one foot, and dexterously caught it with one hand. "I'm going ahead and find a comfy spot. See ya later!"

Lulu stood up and tossed her braids aside. "We've wasted too much time. I'm following Rikku outside. I might as well make sure she doesn't take on fiends thrice her size."

"My sentiments exactly," followed Auron as he vested his oriental blade upon his shoulders. He turned towards the opening as the setting sun illuminated his enigmatic silhouette.

Without a word, Kimahri too followed suit closely tailed by Wakka who was pocketing his Mega-Potion.

The interiors of Gagazet Cavern began to darken as the setting sun seemed to want to keep its light all to itself.

For the second time, whether unknowingly or deliberately, Tidus and Yuna got left behind again. The athletic Guardian walked towards the gentle Summoner and offered his hand. Both Guardian and Summoner smiled at each other. Yuna took his hand and stood up. With his other hand, Tidus drew out his Avenger, assuming his duty as a guardian once more. They were finally a setting closer to Zanarkand.

_You may be the dream what will end our dreaming at last._

_Everything has a price. What would the price for vanquishing Sin be?_


End file.
